Published on
06/07/2026 - 14:59 GMT+2
Retreating glaciers, changing snow cover, more frequent extreme weather events: signs of climate change are all over the Alps, says Markus Noack, Professor of hydraulic engineering and water resources management at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences and a member of the European Waterwise project.
The project, led by the University of Neuchâtel and the Edmund Mach Foundation, aims, among other things, to develop a "toolbox" for assessing the vulnerability of these territories. "We combine existing data with statistical analysis to derive representative indicators for climate, hydrology, but also biodiversity and socio-economics," Professor Noack explains.
The project's core is to open dialogue between scientists and local stakeholders for co-design of resilient water management strategies. One fundamental tool is modelling:. Researchers cross-reference hydrological and socio-economic models with different future climate scenarios, known as RCPs (Representative Concentration Pathways), to project water balances and understand whether there’s enough water available to meet demand.
